Howl, Howl
by UnderwaterOphelia
Summary: Kagome feels like she's drowning after Inuyasha's death. A slow and sweet friendship develops with a modern wolf demon. 100 word snippets inspired by Florence and the Machine discography. Rating may *eventually* change in the distant future.
1. Chapter 1: Lungs

Lungs

* * *

Blood. Surrounding her, the thick taste of it was all she knew. It reminded her of someone else. A beast in human form, slashing and rending her flesh. Killing a man with starshine hair and citrine eyes. Murdering him in front of her—

_NO!_

Kagome jolted awake, bandages drenched in sweat and hyperventilating. Dizzy, she brought her knees up and put her head in between them while trying to calm her labored breathing.

She cried keening wails for her lost companion, her almost lover, laid low by his arrogance and an unfamiliar enemy.

A wolf howled mournfully in the distance.


	2. Chapter 2: The Dog Days Are Over

The Dog Days Are Over

* * *

The well. Her one last connection to the past was ripped from her just like he was. It was sealed, and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Days and weeks were fragmented like shikon shards as she lay crying crumpled on on the dirt floor below. All that was left of her life lay at the bottom. Hands that dragged her out with sympathy felt like bullets in her back.

Her one consolation was the knowledge of where his grave was marked. She spent her days curled under the Goshinboku, clinging desperately to the ghosts from her past.


	3. Chapter 3: My Boy Builds Coffins

My Boy Builds Coffins

* * *

It had been a month, her mother said, and she needed to get out of the house. Bribed with the thought of getting flowers for his grave, Kagome slugged down the torii steps and down the slick city streets, umbrella in hand. 

She almost passed it, the unassuming shop that her mother had been going to for the last few years while she was in the past. Okami's Orchids, what a strange name. The bell chimed as she swept through the door.

"Come on back!" a man's voice resounded through the shop, something familiar in the inflections in his voice.


	4. Chapter 4: Blinding

Blinding

* * *

She watched him drop a flower planter in shock, but the sunlight obscured his face. As he came closer her eyes flew open. Kagome knew that face.

It can't be. "I'm dreaming of the dead," she murmured. Her bones began to shake, and she felt herself falling, but he caught her. Sobbing, she couldn't see the face clearly through her tears, so she furiously wiped them away.

"It's you. I can't believe it's you. But how?" She heard him whisper. She could only shake her head as she clung to him.

She'd have to thank her mother for the recommendation.


	5. Chapter 5: Hunger

Hunger

* * *

She couldn't believe he'd talked her into going to lunch. It was ludicrous that she was sitting across a diner booth from him. Kouga. He'd closed up shop and practically dragged her there.

Sipping her green tea, he looked at her worriedly when she didn't order any food. She just didn't feel hunger like she used to. Even her family was starting to get worried though.

But that didn't matter now. What mattered was the way he kept glancing at her, making sure she was real. Looking for the same loneliness reflected from his eyes to hers. The same hunger.


	6. Chapter 6: Drumming Song

Drumming Song

* * *

She couldn't deal with this. With knowing that some of them were still alive while he wasn't. She couldn't hear his words over the drumming of her heart. It filled her head up and got louder and louder.

Eyes wide, she stood frantically. She was almost through the door when he caught her hand with his. "At least give me your number Kagome. Please, I'm worried about you."

At her hesitant nod he grabbed her phone, put his number in, and texted himself so he'd have hers as well. She felt his eyes on her as she fled the restaurant.


	7. Chapter 7: Hurricane Drunk

Hurricane Drunk

* * *

Oh how far she'd fallen. Kagome took another swig from the bottle as twilight settled over the playground equipment that she sat on. Whoever thought she'd be the kind to drink away her issues?

She couldn't get over seeing Kouga today. She was caught in the duality of being relieved that he was alive and being furious that the universe had brought him back to her. It was like life was kicking her when she was down.

A sob started deep in her chest and worked its way out. She just wanted to lay down and drink herself to death.


	8. Chapter 8: What The Water Gave Me

What The Water Gave Me

* * *

How had she gotten here? Blearily, she looked around for landmarks, something familiar. Oh, it was the river next to the park. The water crashed around her ankles. What was she even doing here?

She laid down on the riverbank and darkness surrounded her. The overflow of the river seemed to echo around her. The will to move was nonexistent in her mind.

She took another drink and it burned her throat on the way down. Nothing mattered anymore anyway. Another gulp. She didn't deserve to continue on when he didn't. None of them did.

She never heard the sirens.


	9. Chapter 9

Hello everyone!

I've moved all my stories onto Ao3 due to 's content policies about explicit writing. Find me at Archive of our Own with the username UnderwaterOphelia and see all the updates I've posted! I'm also on Tumblr, and my username is underwater0phelia, with a zero instead of the letter o. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Ophelia


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